CATIE Blog | Page 6 | HIV and hepatitis C news and opinions

Remembering Joanne Lindsay

July 20, 2023 • By Laurie Edmiston

I was deeply saddened to learn the news of Joanne Lindsay’s passing from cancer on July 15, 2023, surrounded by her husband Hamza, son Charlie and daughter Chiku. Joanne was first elected to CATIE’s board of directors in 2017 and served as its treasurer for the last five years. She was a passionate community leader and contributed to the governance of multiple community-based organizations and programs, as well as being involved as a researcher, educator, mentor and community activist. I know that her former colleagues at the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, the Ontario AIDS Network, the MAP Centre for Urban...

Treating hepatitis C in children: How does it work?

July 4, 2023 • By Dr. Fernando Alvarez

Did you know that hepatitis C is a liver infection that can be cured within eight to 12 weeks thanks to treatments that are nearly 100% effective? Called direct-acting antivirals, these treatments were first designed for people over the age of 18, but treatment options for people under the age of 18 have also been developed in recent years. This includes a treatment approved in Canada for children aged three years and older, which is a game changer in the pediatric context. Romane Close, CATIE’s specialist for resource development and knowledge mobilization, had the chance to speak with Dr. Fernando Alvarez,...

New Canadian hepatitis C estimates tell us how far we’ve come (and how far we have to go)

July 4, 2023 • By Melisa Dickie and Shannon Elliot

Canada has joined countries around the world in committing to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030. However, how do we know if we’re on track to reach that goal and how do we measure our progress along the way? Fortunately, the World Health Organization established targets in its Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis, which have been adapted to the Canadian context by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). These targets lay out a path to elimination with concrete objectives, that include a 90% reduction in new hepatitis C infections by 2030, as...

Trauma-informed HIV testing: creating safe environments for LGBTQ2S+ people

June 26, 2023 • By Dan Udy

LGBTQ2S+ people across Canada can face many barriers to healthcare, including possible trauma related to sexual and gender identities. Structural factors like homophobia and transphobia mean that these communities face many social issues such as higher rates of unemployment, lower incomes, and lower access to housing. For BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) LGBTQ2S+ people, racism can compound these issues. Such challenges make it harder to access services like primary healthcare or mental healthcare. As a result, HIV testing appointments might be the only chance for help with mental health, drug use, housing or intimate partner violence. Someone in...

Building Indigenous harm reduction responses

June 12, 2023 • By Denise Baldwin

How did you get involved in harm reduction? I first got involved in harm reduction when I was living on a reserve on Manitoulin Island and working at a youth centre there doing a lot of health promotion type work. I remember discussing HIV, hepatitis C and safer substance use with the youth – letting them know about not sharing straws to snort and things like that. But my experience in Toronto working with Oahas was what most informed my current work. My mentor in harm reduction work was LaVerne Monette, who was a Two-Spirit leader and activist who worked...

Progress toward viral hepatitis elimination in Canada: Holding governments accountable

May 11, 2023 • By Jennifer van Gennip

On May 11, 2023, Action Hepatitis Canada (AHC) released its Progress Toward Viral Hepatitis Elimination in Canada 2023 Report. This is an update on the 2021 report and provides an analysis of each province and territory’s progress toward eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, a goal set by the World Health Organization (WHO). With a cure for hepatitis C and a vaccine for hepatitis B, this is an ambitious yet realistic goal. Two years after the initial report, we wanted to see what progress had been made in adopting person-centred policies through a health equity lens,...